Myspace Graphics

Addding Graphics to Your Myspace Profile

What good is a Myspace profile unless it has a glittery graphic, a blinking gadget, or a shocking photo? You can add a sparkly Mickey Mouse (just like the one you see here) or any other graphic (please, ANY other graphic!) to your Myspace profile, without learning HTML, no geeky programming required. If you know how to copy and paste, you can add graphics to your profile.

First, you'll have to decide which graphic, photo or picture you want to add to your Myspace profile. If you see a graphic that you like on another web page, or someone else's profile, you have two options for, ummm, "borrowing" it.

• OPTION ONE: Right-click on the image, then select Properties. The information window that pops up will show you the web address (URL) of the image. Triple-click (click three times quickly) on the address (it will start with http and end with gif or jpg) and the entire URL will be highlighted, even if part of it is not visible. Press Ctrl-C to copy the URL. Now skip down to "Modifying Your Myspace Profile".

• OPTION TWO: Right-click on the image, then select the "Save Picture As" option. Stash the picture in a folder on your hard drive, and make note of the filename. For example, let's say you put the graphic in C:\pix\mickey.gif. If you have image editing software and want to modify, crop or resize the graphic, go for it. Now upload the graphic to your own website. Don't have a website? Get free web space at Geocities.com and upload it there. Highlight the URL of the uploaded graphic by clicking inside the address bar of your browser, and press Ctrl-C to copy it.

Modifying Your Myspace Profile

Login to your Myspace profile, and click on Edit Profile. Choose the spot in your profile where you want the graphic to appear, such as your Headline, About Me, Interests, Music, etc. Type <IMG SRC= then press Ctrl-V to paste the URL, then type >. Here's an example: <IMG SRC=http://www.example.com/example.gif>

Save your profile and view the results in your live Myspace profile. If you don't like the size of the graphic, you can add HEIGHT= and WIDTH= modifiers to the IMG tag, like this: <IMG SRC=http://www.example.com/example.gif HEIGHT=20 WIDTH=30>

It's considered bad form to have an image (IMG) tag on your website that calls up a graphic from someone else's server. If your profile gets a lot of visits, it could place a strain on the server where the image resides. It's also not cool to use a copyrighted image without the owner's permission. Consider creating your own artwork, ask permission to use a graphic from someone else's website, and host it on your own web space when possible.

Do you have any Myspace tips to share? Post your comments below...